Hey Jude Turns 50

Divorce is not an easy process, especially when there’s young children involved.

Many of us have been rendered casualties of a failed marriage, but the greatest impact of this emotional endgame falls on the kids, who are sometimes left to wonder what it is they might have done to bring this fracture to their family bond. I write this as a child of divorce, and when I learned that “Hey Jude”–a song that always had a special place in my heart since I was a baby–was written by Macca to comfort a young Julian Lennon as John and his first wife Cynthia were splitting up it took on a whole new resonance with me.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of “Hey Jude,” and in honor of this milestone we’ve assembled a Playlist of some of the better covers of the seven-minute singalong that have been recorded in the last half-century.

Happy Anniversary to “Hey Jude”: May your sweet melodies continue to be a source of healing for all the kids who need it.